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Experience with the Operation of a Test-RIG for 700 °C Power Plant Materials

Article  in  Procedia Engineering · December 2013

DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2013.03.282

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Procedia Engineering 55 (2013) 470 – 473

6th International Conference on Cree

ep, Fatigue and Creep-Fatigue Interaction [CF-6
6]

Experience with the Operaation of a Test-RIG for 700°C Pow

wer
Plaant Materials
Czychona, S. Zicklerb∗, K. Maileb
K. Metzgera, K.-H. C
a
Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG,,Marguerrestraße 1, D-68199 Mannheim, Germany
b
Materialpruefungsanstalt Universitaet SStuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 32D, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Abstract

Components in 700 °C power plants which are subbjected to highest temperature and loading will be made of Ni-based N
alloys and austenitic steels. This paper describes the G
GKM (Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG) test rig for assessing theese new
materials in real power station conditions for use in advanced power plants operating up to 725 °C and 350/2 200 bar
pressure. The design and integration of the test rig in the conventional coal fired power plant in Mannheim/Germ many is
described and an overview is provided of the advanceed materials being considered and the status of the test after abou
ut 7500
h operation time.

© 2013
© 2013The Authors.
The Published
Authors. by Elsevier
Published Ltd.
by Elsevier Ltdd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of thee Indira
Selection Centre
Gandhi and peer-review under responsibility
for Atomic Research of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.

Keywords: Nickel based alloys; CO2 reduction; 700°C poweer plant; field test

1. Introduction

Despite strong efforts especially in Europee to strengthen the development and activation of reneewable
energy sources, coal fired plants will contributte a significant part to the supply of electric power in th
he near
future. Technical progress in this field must be achieved to make this contribution as efficient as possiblle with
respect to resources and emissions. One of the most important aims is therefore to increase the efficiency and
reduce CO2-emissions. Higher steam temperaturre means higher efficiency and therefore materials develo opment
for higher temperature application is a key-issuue. Currently plants are under design and construction realizing
the next temperature step with superheater tempperatures up to 610 °C and reheater temperatures up to 625 6 °C.
However, the most significant efficiency increasse will be achieved with temperatures up to 700 °C.
To realize these options a number of Europeaan (e.g. the THERMIE-programs) and national research projects
p
have been launched, e.g. COORETEC-Projectss in Germany. The abbreviation COORETEC stands for CO2
reduction technologies for coal-fired power pllants, sponsored up to 50% of the total costs by the FederalF
Ministry of Economics and Technology (BM MWi) of Germany. These projects comprise development and
qualification of materials for boiler and turbinne parts as well as the development of non-destructive testing

∗
Corresponding author:
E-mail address: Stefan.Zickler@mpa.uni-stuttgart.de

1877-7058 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2013.03.282
 K. Metzger et al. / Procedia Engineering 55 (2013) 470 – 473 471

methods for austenitic materials and nickel-baseed alloys as well as for welded joints. In addition to the material
m
qualification programs and other research activiities within the frame of the COORETEC initiative menttioned,
the 725HWT project has been started to study thhe component behavior under real operation conditions.
The project is aimed on the following investigations:
− Testing of Superheater-materials (metaal temperature 580 °C up to 775 °C) considering:
ƒ Flue gas corrosion and steam oxidation
o behavior
ƒ Weldability (similar and dissim milar welds)
ƒ Erosion behavior by sootblow wing
ƒ Creep damage behavior and reelated monitoring concepts
− Development of Control Valves (HP--Bypass Valve) for 725°C application and evaluation of o their
operating performance.
The project started in January 2008 and will end
e in December 2011 (Phase 1).

2. Concept of the test rig

The core of the project is a specifically designed steam loop, installed in the steam generator „Block k 6“. It
consists of different parts: one part of this test loop
l is commonly inside the boiler, another part, the creeep- and
turbine test loop is placed outside. Due to this exceptional arrangement of the test rig, the damage develo opment
of future key materials for the 700°C Power Plannt under service like loading conditions can be evaluated.
The test loop, Fig. 1, is integrated into thee steam generator K17 of the power plant GKM. The steam
parameters of the main boiler are: live steam pressure 167.6 bar, live steam temperature 530 °C, reeheater
temperature: 530 °C.

Fig. 1. Scheme of the test rig.

The steam flow leading to the test rig is takeen from the superheater outlet header of the main boiler with a
steam temperature of approx. 530°C. In the testt loop, the steam is heated up to a steam temperature of approx.
a
725 °C. Afterwards, the steam is relaxed to reheeater pressure in a multistage steam regulation valve. Thee steam
regulation valve regulates the steam quantity in i order to reach the steam temperature of 725 °C befo ore the
steam regulation valve. The relaxed steam is mixed
m in a mixing section with a cold steam flow. The steam
temperature for the mixed steam flow should be at approx. 530 °C after the mixing section, in order to return
the steam flow into the heat reheater pipeline.
The design data can be summarized as follow ws:
Steam flow: 0.4 kg/s Æ 0.33 kg/s
Steam conditions at the inlet: 166.5 bar / 530 °C
472 K. Metzger et al. / Procedia Engineering 55 (2013) 470 – 473

Steam conditions at the outlet: 156.0 bar / 725 °C

Flue gas temperature: approx.1260 °C
Tube dimensions: 38 x 8.8 mm
Tube length (heated): approx. 24 m Æ 35m

2.1. Overview materials

The following materials have been used, Table 1.

Table 1. Superheater tubes

Superheater / 635°C
T92 VM12SHC SAVE12AD Sanicro 25
Tempaloy AA1 (SB) Super 304H (SB) DMV 304HCu (SB) HR6W
Post Super 304H XA704 (SB) HR3C HR35
DMV 310N NF 709 Tempaloy A3 Sumitomo A617
A617 mod.
Superheater / 725°C
DMV 310N HR3C Sanicro 25 A617 mod.
HR6W HR35 HN55 A263
Sumitomo A617 A740
Creep test loop / 635°C
T92 Save 12AD DMV 304HCu (SB) DMV 310N
Sanicro 25 A617 mod.
Creep test loop / 725°C
HR35 A617 mod. A617 mod stab. A263 A740

Different fabricators of semi-finished products have been implemented. SB is standing for a shot blasted
inner surface. The nickel-alloy A 617 was used in a modification (“mod”) with a controlled chemistry
specification [2]. A617 in principle was welded without previous or subsequent heat treatment. As an option in
order to investigate the behavior stabilization annealing at 980°C (“stabilized”) was performed for one example
and a tube section with such a heat treatment was mounted in the creep test loop.
The alloy A617 mod was used for the external piping including the mixing piece, but also the fittings
(branch pieces) and valves exposed to 725 °C steam.

2.2. Damage behavior and life assessment

In the external creep test loops the creep damage behavior of the austenitic steels and the Ni-alloys, see
Table 1 will be investigated and evaluated. In order to reduce the time to failure the tubes in these test loops
have been notched, Fig. 2. Thus a theoretical creep rupture time of approximately 50000 h is estimated. In
order to prevent shut down of the boiler, the longitudinal and circumferential creep strain is recorded by using
HT-strain gauges to permit anticipation of premature rupture. In addition advanced NDT will be used in phases
when the boiler is out of operation.
Creep tests of all materials used in the creep test loop and also with materials with no PMA are running in
advance, before the test rig was set into operation. The aim of these tests is to deliver data for a single material
appraisal and also for constitutive creep laws. By means of inelastic FE-calculations with implemented creep
laws the rupture time will be assessed and verified by the strain recordings.
Microstructural investigations are aimed to determine the changes in the microstructure due to temperature,
loading situation and load time. The findings about the changes in relation with the identified damages in shape
 K. Metzger et al. / Procedia Engineering 55 (2013) 470 – 473 473

of cavities and cracks will be collected in a dataabase, which could be used later for condition based mon
nitoring
of real components.

Figg. 2. Notched test tubes.

3. Project status

The test rig is operating since August 2009. The

T length of the super heater tubes was extended from 24 4 m up
to 35 m in September 2009 to have stable tempeeratures and to improve the performance of the high tempeerature
control valves. Also the thermal insulation of thhe external piping and fittings was significantly improvedd. Thus
a steam flow in the external creep test rigs with temperature accuracy was achieved which is also a resultt of the
effectiveness of the control valves. Actually ann operation time of 7500 h is achieved. In July 2010 saamples
from both the internal superheater test loop as well as from external creep test loop were takeen out.
Metallographic examinations were performed focused on the determination of the corrosion and oxiidation
behavior but also on changes in the microstructuure including the shot blasted inner surface of the austenites.

4. Conclusions and outlook

The GKM test rig acts as test platform foor the realization of the future 700 °C power plant, as a key
components are tested under realistic operationnal conditions. The welding and bending was performed d under
typical conditions of usual boiler fabrication with
w previous optimization of welding and bending. A detailed
d
quality engineering strategy was developed in order
o to meet code requirements under detailed consideraation of
material behaviors which can be directly transfeerred to the realization of a complete 700°C power plant. In the
w component and material behavior will be generated which
frame of the project, the necessary experience with
will be implemented in monitoring concepts for the 700°C power plant.

Acknowledgements

The investigations presented in this paper are supported by the Federal Ministry of Econom my and
Technology (Bundesministeriums für Wirtschafft und Technologie (BMWi) under contract no. 0327799. The
support is highly acknowledged. Furthermore, the
t contributions of the other project partners: ALSTOM
M, BHR
Essen, KAM Muenchen, MVV Mannheim, ABB Mannheim, KSB Pegnitz, Bopp und Reuther Mann nheim,
Welland & Tuxhorn, Burgmann Industries Wolfratshausen,
W EnBW Stuttgart, SLC Mannheim, TÜV V SÜD
Mannheim and VGB PowerTech Essen are trulyy appreciated.

References

[1] K.Metzger, K.H.Czychon, K.Maile, A.Klenk, A.Helmrrich, Q.Chen.GKM Test Rig, Investigation of the long term operation behavior b
of tubes and forgings made of alloys for future highh efficient power plants, 6th International EPRI Conference on Adva ances in
Materials Technology for Fossil Power Plants, August 31 3 – September 03, 2007, Santa Fe, USA
[2] Quirong Chen et al. Materials Qualification for 700 °C Power Plants, Fifth International Conference on Advances in Materials M
Technology for Fossil Power Power Plants, October 3 – 5, 2007, Marco Island, USA
[3] R.U.Husemann, A.Helmrich, J.Heinemann, A.Klenk annd K.Maile. Applicability of Ni-based welding consumables for boiler tu ubes and
piping in the temperature range up to 720 °C, 4th Int. Coonf. On Advances in Materials Technology for Fossil Power Plants, (20
004).

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